Minnesota’s Taylor Heise named 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner

Minnesota forward Taylor Heise is the winner of the 2022 Patty Kamzaier Award, annually given to the best player in Division I women’s college hockey, on Saturday morning.

“We are absolutely thrilled for Taylor, her family, teammates and our program,” said Brad Frost, Heise’s head coach at Minnesota, in USA Hockey’s release. “She had a year that we will all remember and is very deserving of the Patty Kazmaier award. Taylor embodies what Patty was all about and we are so happy for her. To add her name to the likes of Krissy Wendell and Amanda Kessel ... speaks volumes to the season that Taylor had.”

Heise with the blast from the blue line! pic.twitter.com/iIaE0SrmI2

— Minnesota Women's Hockey (@GopherWHockey) January 30, 2021

Heise led the Gophers and the nation in points (66) during the 2021-22 season, and finished second nationally in the scoring race with 29 goals. Her WCHA Player of the Year and WCHA Offensive Player of the Year honors, along with her selection to the all-WCHA First Team, set her apart from many of her peers across the NCAA.

Heise’s Gophers lost to the University of Minnesota Duluth in the regional finals after entering the postseason seeded #2 in the nation. Minnesota came up just short in the WCHA conference tournament as well, losing to Ohio State in overtime off the stick of Sophie Jaques — which makes this honor all the more sweet for Heise and her squad.